Well while I don't know personally how many or when, I do have a friend who was looking for work recently after working there. London is going through a lull right now but apparently there are lots of projects next year so will pick up again.

However, isn't the nature of being a VFX artist that it's contract based? The only way to guarantee more work is to make yourself irreplacable. Unfortunately for a lot of the types of jobs out there, that isn't possible.

The way london 'employs' is a strange one. On one hand you have signed a fixed length contract. On the other, you are fully registered as an employee in the governments eyes so that companies dont get slammed with IR35 investigations. So you are fully employed, but just for a little bit.

I could go on for ages about london. I'm from there and have lots of thoughts, good and bad about the industry there. I would say be thankful that its there.

Double Negative has had a busy year delivering spectacular VFX (either as sole or main vendor) for some of the biggest films of the year including The Dark Knight Rises, Snow White and the Huntsman, Total Recall, Bourne Legacy and Skyfall. We are currently completing work on Rush, Les Miserables, Captain Phillips and Man of Steel.

The project based nature of our business means that from time to time we need to grow and contract to reflect the needs of the films we are working on at any given time. Our policy has always been (and will continue to be) to hold onto people where possible. The decision to streamline our operation for the time being is a natural part of the cycle of our industry.

"Double Negative has had a busy year delivering spectacular VFX (either as sole or main vendor) for some of the biggest films of the year including The Dark Knight Rises, Snow White and the Huntsman, Total Recall, Bourne Legacy and Skyfall. We are currently completing work on Rush, Les Miserables, Captain Phillips and Man of Steel.

The project based nature of our business means that from time to time we need to grow and contract to reflect the needs of the films we are working on at any given time. Our policy has always been (and will continue to be) to hold onto people where possible. The decision to streamline our operation for the time being is a natural part of the cycle of our industry."

Loads of us in London are out of work right now, it's the biggest dip I've seen in all the years I've been here. Things will pick up again, as they always do, but right now it's hard to compete against Vancouver and other places, so it's unfortunate but not surprising that a lot of us are currently sitting around twiddling our thumbs.

I'm using the time to do some photography and play loads of XBox, but I hope some new work hits town soon. I occasionally toy with the idea of changing my career but honestly, I love my job and don't want to do anything else. Time will tell, I guess.

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